TZL 1401 (web)

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Principals’ career goals

Knowing your clients and finding out how you can solve their problems is key to building long-lasting, profitable relationships. Client perception studies

A bout 14 years ago, my family and I moved to Northwest Arkansas and purchased a home. The home had no refrigerator, which we thought could become inconvenient, so we set out to find one. We looked at quite a few and ended up buying one at one of those big box home improvement stores (hint, it was the blue one). Frankly, I’ve never found these stores to be all that different, except for the color. They are both uncomfortably huge, have much the same merchandise, and similar levels of service, so I usually just end up going to the one closest to my house. The next day, our new refrigerator was delivered and installed as promised by two very nice fellows. They were in and out in about 15 minutes. I thanked them and thought that was that. About two hours later, I received a call from a number I didn’t recognize. I usually don’t answer those, but something told me I should pick this one up. To my surprise, it was the gentleman who sold us the refrigerator! He wanted to know how our experience was with the installation and delivery and if we had any questions or concerns. I said that everything went well, the thing was refrigerating nicely, and that the entire experience was actually almost pleasant. The next day, I received a survey in my email, which was short and to the point, and I gladly completed it. I was impressed to say the least. This huge company was taking the time to contact a customer to find out about the details of their experience. Suffice to say, since then, I’ve been a regular patron of the blue store and rarely, if ever, go to their competitor, the orange one – they never called me. Business is all about relationships, probably even more so in professional service businesses. Assessing the customer/client experience, and those relationships, should be something that all businesses – big or small, no matter the industry – should strive to do on a regular basis. You see this more and more, as companies of every kind are looking to find out what their customers think about them. Surveys are printed out on receipts, done by phone, sent by email or text message, etc. Social media has created forums where client feedback can literally make or break a business. The fact is, if the client experience wasn’t important to companies, they would not spend the time and certainly not the money it takes to find out what their customers think and how they feel about them. The reason they do it? It can give them a competitive edge, build loyalty, highlight areas for improvement, head off potential problems, and, ultimately, help make them more money. Keeping tabs on your clients’ experiences with your firm will not only help you build loyalty and retain valued (and valuable) clients, it will also make it more likely that those clients will refer your firm to colleagues and friends. There are few things more powerful than

F I R M I N D E X Austin Brockenbrough & Associates. ...... 8 Choice One Engineering........................ 10 Croy Engineering ..................................... 4 Dewberry ................................................ 4 Jordan and Skala Engineers .................... 6 Prime ABA, LP........................................ 8 Ware Malcomb...................................... 10 MO R E A R T I C L E S xz EDDIE WADE: Don’t go down in flames Page 3 xz Collaborator: Tim Milam Page 6 xz MATT HOYING : Construction experience a plus Page 9 xz MARK ZWEIG : Would you work for you? Page 11 In Zweig Group’s 2021 Principals, Partners & Owners Report of AEC Firms , we asked principals about their personal career goals and whether these goals had been exceeded , met , or not met at this stage in their career. When split up by specific job title, there’s a clear trend that appears as presidents and CEOs were more likely to say their goals had been exceeded while VPs or principals were more likely to say their goals had not been met just yet. While goals may not be all about title, it’s noteworthy to see the aspirations of those at the bottom of the corporate ladder wanting to start that climb. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication.

Bill Fox

See BILL FOX, page 2

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R T H E A E C I N D U S T R Y

BILL FOX , from page 1 quality personal referrals. One of the best ways of deepening and expanding those client relationships is to make them feel that they are always top of mind, that you truly value them, and that you want to be their trusted partner and resource. Your clients are people, and people feel valued when they are asked their opinion about something and believe it will be listened to and acted upon. A great way to do this is to regularly solicit feedback from your clients. It’s the only way you can really find out what they need, how they feel, what they expect from you, how your firm is perceived externally, what makes your firm different, and which areas your firm can improve upon to better serve your clients in a highly competitive environment. You may think you know where you stand with your clients, and sometimes they’ll tell you based on the type of relationship they have with certain people in your firm. However, many will not tell you until they are asked, and they may have a lot to say. Very often respondents to our client surveys (our clients’ clients) will tell us that they commend our client for going through the process, as it indicates that our client is constantly trying to improve, and they feel that their feedback is valued, strengthening that relationship. Client feedback can be very revealing and can also raise eyebrows from time to time. Occasionally, in our experience, we will see significant differences in terms of what our clients see as internal strengths, and how their clients perceive those “strengths.” For example, some firms may feel that they are very responsive and communicate well, but their clients may see things differently. This type of information should definitely raise at least a “yellow flag.” At Zweig Group, our Client Perception Studies are an integral component of our overall strategic planning process. Our strategy clients appreciate and value the feedback they receive, positive or negative, and that feedback plays a big part in determining the future goals and direction of their firms. Zweig Group now offers our Client Perception Studies and analysis as a stand-alone service. We will work with you to customize a questionnaire, solicit the information you want by asking the right questions in the right way, conduct the survey as you see fit, and analyze and curate the findings for you in a usable format. The information you receive may validate what you already know, or it may alert you to issues that you weren’t aware of, so you can address them before they become big problems, and the process itself will help to reinforce your all-important client relationships and enhance the client experience. Some firms conduct their own client surveys or have other ways of soliciting client feedback. But sometimes, and I speak from experience, people are more likely to open up and speak a little more freely to a third party, especially if their feedback isn’t all that positive (which is some of the most valuable feedback you can get). I’ve had some very long and detailed (and enjoyable) conversations with our clients’ clients which have revealed issues that the survey questions alone did not. Also, client surveys can be quite time consuming for a company and take staff away from more pressing matters, such as working on projects and growing the business. A third-party survey may also add some validity to the process. Plus, once you have the data, what do you do with it? We can help you curate and analyze the data so you can actually do something with it and use it as part of your strategic plan. Knowing your client and finding out how you can solve their problems is key to building long lasting, profitable relationships. We can help you get to know them better. BILL FOX is a strategic planning advisor with Zweig Group. Contact him at bfox@zweiggroup.com. ZWEIG GROUP’S STRATEGIC PLANNING SERVICES Zweig Group delivers a real plan, with real goals, and real action items – and, with accountability built in to ensure your firm’s success. Zweig Group’s team of advisors work directly with company leadership, guiding firms toward developing and achieving their critical business objectives. Click here to learn more.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

O P I N I O N

Don’t go down in flames

Burnout is blazing through workplaces at a rapid pace and negatively impacting productivity, morale, and retention.

B urnout. It’s the work-related stress and exhaustion that is blazing through workplaces at a rapid pace and negatively impacting productivity, morale, and retention. Think it doesn’t impact you or your firm? Think again. A reported 77 percent of people are experiencing burnout at their current job, so there is a strong likelihood it’s happening to your employees (or to you). The signs and symptoms range from decreased utilization and engagement to increased fatigue, apathy, and inaccuracy.

Eddie Wade

2) You traded momentum for monotony. Once you’ve set a goal, the next step is to make a plan to achieve it. Often, we’re burned out because we may know what the goal is – make more money, achieve a billable percentage, or gain a new client/market – but we don’t know how to get there. This leads to spinning our wheels or going in different directions depending on the day. It also gets monotonous. Instead, allow for creativity when developing your plan. Bounce ideas off others. Determine specific, small, sustainable steps that will get you there. And, most importantly once you’ve developed a plan, stick to it and communicate it. 3) You don’t have a culture of coaching. Feelings

To fix, and even prevent, burnout in yourself and your employees, we’re sharing 10 reasons people burnout and ways to fix each one. However, it’s important to realize that these aren’t quick, band-aid fixes. Many of these solutions will take intentional implementation, time, and commitment to be successful. Let’s get started. The top 10 causes and fixes: 1) You missed the point. Or, worse yet – you don’t know what the point is. This is the first step to fixing burnout: set goals. This shouldn’t be a lofty vision statement either. Goals should be measurable and feasible. The bottom line is that you need to figure out where you’re going – whether as an individual, department, or company.

See EDDIE WADE, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

ON THE MOVE DEWBERRY OPENS FIRST PROJECT OFFICE IN ALASKA; WELCOMES PROJECT MANAGERS HILLARY PALMER AND ED FOGELS Dewberry , a privately held professional services firm, has announced that project managers Hillary Palmer and Ed Fogels have joined the firm. The firm has also announced the opening of its new project office in Anchorage, Alaska, out of which Palmer and Fogels are based. Palmer has 13 years of experience and previously served as the enhanced 911 addressing specialist for the Matanuska- Susitna Borough where she managed key geographic information system datasets for use in the 911 dispatch and emergency response. Palmer earned her bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Alaska-Anchorage and has worked as a GIS analyst for the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Alaska Department of Transportation where she became familiar with coastal erosion and arctic infrastructure challenges.

Palmer is a member of Urban and Regional Information Systems Association Next Generation 911 Task Force, the National Emergency Number Association, and the National States Geographic Information Council. She serves as the co-chair for the Alaska Geospatial Council’s Transportation Technical Working Group. Palmer will lead the firm’s efforts on the Alaska Coastal Mapping Coordination task order from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The firm provides planning, coordination, management, and technology research services to map the Alaska coastline. Fogels, who will be supporting Palmer and the firm in various other capacities, spent more than 30 years at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources where he led the state’s efforts to develop a more detailed basemap of the state of Alaska, including IfSAR mapping to enhance elevation data and refresh statewide imagery coverage.

“For more than a decade, Dewberry has been an integral partner in the efforts to coordinate and deliver critical geospatial data for Alaska,” says Dewberry Executive Vice President Phil Thiel. “With the hiring of these two well-respected individuals along with our new project office in Anchorage, we can now provide even more direct support for years to come.” Dewberry is a leading, market-facing firm with a proven history of providing professional services to a wide variety of public- and private-sector clients. Recognized for combining unsurpassed commitment to client service with deep subject matter expertise, Dewberry is dedicated to solving clients’ most complex challenges and transforming their communities. Established in 1956, Dewberry is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, with more than 50 locations and more than 2,000 professionals nationwide.

EDDIE WADE , from page 3

6) You need control. We can get burned out when we’re trying to control everything. This is exhausting and unsustainable. Instead, learn to let go and empower others. We refer to this as encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit with our employees. Find opportunities and ways to let them take ownership – whether to pitch a new idea, explore an emerging software, or lead a project. 7) You quit. We’ve all felt the urge (and some of us have done it): We feel burned out, so we quit. And sometimes it’s the right move. But if you’re leaving a job for the wrong reason, you’re going to go from the frying pan into the fire. Instead, evaluate the situation before making the leap; it may be better to stick it out. Making a lateral move can leave you feeling further behind in your career and less motivated as you work to prove yourself yet again for little career promotion or reward. 8) You stick to your network. Think bigger. When we expand who we’re around, we expand the ideas and opinions we’re exposed to. Whether it’s getting involved with a new industry association, Chamber of Commerce, or leadership development course – expand your horizons. 9) You’re too serious. We tend to be serious as engineers, but sometimes what you need to break the burnout is to have fun. At Croy, we implement this by hosting impromptu fun days (that don’t have to break the bank), including “Thanks a Lotto for All You Do,” a day when we handed out $1 lottery scratch-offs to employees, and “Nothing Bundt Thankful for You,” when we had mini-bundt cakes delivered to the office for employees. 10) You’re unhappy. A good friend and speaker, Dr. Ken Harmon, preaches to “choose happiness.” When we’re burned out, it’s easy to only see the negatives. It takes a deliberate effort to focus on the positives. We all have our go-to way to help adjust our perspective and change our mood: Listen to your favorite song (mine is “Good Day” by Nappy Roots). Buy a latte. Call a friend. Take a small action to help turn your day – and attitude – around. EDDIE WADE , PE is an executive vice president at Croy Engineering and one of five owners. He can be reached at ewade@croyeng.com.

of burnout can often be caused by either your frustration with younger/inexperienced staff or their frustration with you (or other reasons). To avoid this, adapt a culture of and commitment to coaching. At Croy, we’re intentional about investing in our up-and-coming engineers. This includes nominating them for leadership development and/or training programs; taking time to explain the intangibles of the business, such as how to dress for a meeting; and bringing them to client and industry meetings. We’re learning that when people have a clear career path and feel invested in it, they are less likely to feel fatigued and burned out. “There is a strong likelihood it’s happening to your employees (or to you). The signs and symptoms range from decreased utilization and engagement to increased fatigue, apathy, and inaccuracy.” 4) You got off track. Even with a great plan in place, things can get off-track – goals aren’t met, team members quit, or budgets get blown. When this happens repeatedly, it’s easy to feel burned out. You need to adjust your expectations and attitude. Learn to expect the unexpected. Plan for the crisis even if it may not happen. At Croy, we believe it’s better to have a 30-minute conversation to plan for the worst-case scenario that turns out to be unnecessary than to not have the conversation and waste valuable time, resources, and money reacting to the situation if it does. 5) You listened to the drama. Office gossip and drama can derail a team faster than anything else. It can cause feelings of discouragement, frustration, fatigue, and eventually, burnout. Our advice: Ignore the (petty) noise. But also, give your employees a safe space to vent and voice their frustrations (we recommend that venting should occur “up the ladder,” not sideways).

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

An enriching experience full of thought leaders, next practices and the ultimate source of learning, networking, and celebration for firms across the AEC industries. This year, Zweig Group’s annual Elevate AEC Conference is in two formats: the FREE Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHer Symposium and the In-Person ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala .

Two conferences. One mission.

In-Person ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala The 2021 In-Person ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, Colorado on November 3-5, 2021. Withmuch optimism and excitement, Zweig Group is thrilled to restore the full annual in-person conference this fall; presenting the highest level of curated thought leadership, numerous networking opportunities, and the iconic black-tie awards gala celebrating all our 2021 winners of the Hot Firm List, Best Firms toWork For, Marketing Excellence, Rising Stars, Top New Ventures, and the Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award! The 2021 In-Person ElevateAEC Conference & Awards Gala will be the industry’s top conference of 2021 with new networking and learning opportunities for leaders across the country. Trust us, you will not want tomiss this! Register now to guarantee your spot.

Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium Zweig Group has continued to evolve its virtual conference, so the FREE 2021 Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium is back with a four-week virtual experience with over 40 speakers and 30 credit hours of networking, learning, and celebrating – all in an unlimited virtual environment. From emerging professionals, project managers, to CEO’s, there is something for everyone at the FREE 2021 Virtual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium . REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL NOW FREE SEPT. 13 - OCT. 8, 2021

NOV. 3 - 5, 2021 Denver, CO REGISTER FOR IN-PERSON NOW $1,995/attendee

QUESTIONS? For group discounts or any other inquiries, please contact events@ zweiggroup.com, call 800.466.6275 or visit zweiggroup.com

Everything we do is in pursuit of elevating the AEC industry, bringing awareness of the incredible impact that engineers, architects, environmental professionals, survey- ors, planners, landscape architects and related professional service providers have on the world. Empowering organizations with the resources they need to perform better, grow and add jobs, pay better wages and to expand their impact on the community, Zweig Group exists to advance the profession.

P R O F I L E

Collaborator: Tim Milam President and principal of Jordan and Skala Engineers (Norcross, GA), a firm that has delivered quality engineering services to its clients for more than 65 years.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

M ilam first started with the firm in 1993 when there were only three employees. Since then, he’s helped it to grow to 300. He’s worked in multiple capacities and closely supervised expansion of the company’s design services throughout the years to include low voltage systems (communications, security, and audio/visual systems). He’s a highly respected leader and committed to helping the next generation of engineers. “I’ve witnessed the retirement of three company presidents and growth from 13 to 300 employees,” Milam says. “When a business leader’s exit creates opportunity for others in the organization to lead, you have the structure to succeed. A clear challenge is to promote and cultivate leadership potential in high-performers before an exit occurs (planned or unplanned).” A CONVERSATION WITH TIM MILAM. The Zweig Letter: Your bio on the Jordan and Skala website states you are “committed to developing

younger staff to become the next generation of leading engineers.” Can you provide a few examples of what you and your team are doing to ensure their growth? Tim Milam: Our company employs college students through cooperative education programs (available at most universities that have engineering schools), which is a program I personally benefited from when I was a student at Georgia Tech. The experience exposed me to the building design industry, allowed me to graduate with experience, and afforded me invaluable opportunities to build relationships with business people and mentors. Earning a wage in my college years was also a plus. Since we continually struggle to find qualified people to work in our field, it’s imperative that we develop younger staff in a manner that they’re well engaged in their work and feel confident that they can build a career with our company. Training our younger staff has always been important to us, but our processes for doing so were too inconsistent (in

THE ZWEIG LETTER JUL

both recurrence and quality). A couple of years ago we launched a training initiative (aka JSE University), whereby our leaders prepare and facilitate educational content via recorded video combined with live Q&A sessions. These are conducted in-person and virtually. Our HR department keeps us on task with scheduling the sessions and logging employee participation. While our work is never done in this area, we believe that we’ve created an easily repeatable process that we hope will boost the development and engagement of our employees. “Engineers are smart people, but they become most trusted by delivering prompt responses to matters that are time- critical.” TZL: How do you anticipate COVID-19 permanently impacting your firm’s policy on telecommuting? TM: Our experience over the last year will have a lasting impact on our policy for teleworking. We will soon launch an updated policy intended for the post- pandemic era and it will allow for much more flexibility (in-office and home working) than pre-pandemic. TZL: How much time do you spend working “in the business” rather than “on the business?” TM: I’ve always enjoyed being “in the business,” meaning the engineering work itself in coordination with co-workers and clients. I wasn’t certain that I would like stepping away from the technical side of what we do, but now that most of my time is spent “on the business,” I’m certainly glad that I enjoy it. TZL: Trust is essential. How do you earn the trust of your clients? TM: There are a lot of words that can be used to answer this question, but the one I’ve heard most consistently is “response.” Engineers are smart people, but they become most trusted by delivering prompt responses to matters that are time-critical. TZL: What role does your family play in your career? Are work and family separate, or is there overlap? TM: Our company is not family-owned, so in that sense, work and family are separate. Like many other careers, families sacrifice

togetherness when our employees work (and travel) long hours consistently. Our leaders strive to observe and control causes that bring long hours upon our employees. TZL: What type of leader do you consider yourself to be? TM: A collaborator. TZL: When you identify a part of your business that is not pulling its weight in terms of profitability or alignment with the firm’s mission, what steps do you take, and what’s the timeline, to address the issue while minimizing impacts to the rest of the company? TM: I’m proud of our staff’s alignment to our stated vision and mission. However, profitability of a team or office fluctuates for many reasons, most notably a regional slowdown. Our leaders routinely monitor their backlog and report to one another on a monthly basis. We’re fortunate that technology improvements allow for work to be shared and produced between offices with little problem. TZL: How often do you valuate your firm and what key metrics do you use in the process? Do you valuate using in-house staff or is it outsourced? TM: We valuate our company on an annual basis, with metrics including assets, liabilities, and earnings (profits). We recently have decided to outsource this task. “One of my business partners is fond of the phrase ‘building a career.’ We certainly want this to be such a place for all our employees.” TZL: You’ve been with the firm since 1993. What did you start out doing and what’s the most significant change you’ve seen during your time with the firm (i.e., technology, project evolution, etc.)? TM: I was hired to be a lead electrical engineer, and for approximately five years, I spent much of my time designing the electrical systems for Home Depot retail stores, mainly for projects in the southeast U.S. The advancement of technology has been tremendous in our field since my younger days. When I was a co-op student, I produced the work product via See COLLABORATOR, page 8

HEADQUARTERS: Norcross, GA NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 300 YEAR FOUNDED: 1953 NUMBER OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: 7 SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Electrical engineering ❚ ❚ Residential construction ❚ ❚ Commercial construction ❚ ❚ Energy, green building designs ❚ ❚ Audio-visual design systems ❚ ❚ BIM/REVIT ❚ ❚ Building commissioning ❚ ❚ Communications systems design ❚ ❚ Electrical engineering ❚ ❚ Mechanical engineering ❚ ❚ Plumbing engineering ❚ ❚ Security systems deign ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE US TO KNOW: We work in an industry where a rewarding lifetime career can be attained. We take pride in our depth of knowledge, our teamwork, and the very tangible result of our efforts to our communities and environment.

LY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

TRANSACT IONS GODSPEED CAPITAL ACQUIRES

AUSTIN

and completing complex, award-winning projects. Brockenbrough was also recently highlighted as a Best Place to Work by the Virginia Business Magazine as well as a Top Workplace by the Richmond Times . Bob Polino, Brockenbrough’s managing partner said, “We are thrilled to partner with Godspeed Capital and Prime to establish Prime ABA, which will expand and enhance the combined companies’ expertise, client relationships, geographic reach, past performance and qualifications, and our already broad range of client services. This investment will solidify Brockenbrough’s client-focused culture of excellence and provide expanded opportunities for increased responsibilities and professional growth for our team.” Brockenbrough will remain headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company will continue to be led by its leadership team, which participated in the transaction and creation of Prime ABA alongside Godspeed Capital. Douglas Lake, Jr., founder and managing partner of Godspeed Capital said, “The Godspeed Capital team is honored to partner with the fourth generation of Brockenbrough ownership since its founding in 1955. We intend to further the growth and success of the Brockenbrough legacy by fostering its entrepreneurial culture and continuing to invest in their people, client service, and innovative capabilities. We look forward to building upon Prime ABA’s exceptional foundation established with Brockenbrough and Prime to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities in the markets we serve.” Austin Brockenbrough & Associates is a full- servicearchitecture, engineering, andsurveying

services firm serving federal, state, and municipal government clients. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Brockenbrough employs over 40 employees and serves clients globally. The company offers civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering, as well as architecture, land surveying, and subsurface utility engineering services. Areas of specialization include transportation, water/ wastewater treatment, petroleum/fuel storage and distribution, utilities, building systems, and site development. Brockenbrough’s commitment to providing quality, integrity, and value in the services offered is deeply rooted in the company’s culture and will remain a cornerstone of the Brockenbrough model going forward. The company genuinely believes there is no substitute for a continued commitment to excellence and innovation. It is what Brockenbrough was built on and is critical to the success of the company. Prime ABA is a multi-disciplinary engineering and consulting services growth platform providing a full continuum of architecture, design, engineering, surveying, consulting, and construction management services globally to a wide range of public and private sector clients with a focus on addressing the fundamental and growing demand for infrastructure services and solutions. Prime ABA employs more than 120 people and addresses the most complex and critical projects for their clients across five strategically located offices domestically. The group is a nationally recognized leader in the engineering and consulting sector and has a long legacy of providing high quality and value-added services to clients while espousing a rich entrepreneurial culture focused on exceeding client expectations.

BROCKENBROUGH

ASSOCIATES, Management

LLC

Godspeed LP announced the successful acquisition of Austin Brockenbrough & Associates, LLC , a premier architecture, engineering, and surveying company which supports federal, state, and municipal government clients. Capital The newly acquired company will join Godspeed Capital’s existing portfolio company, Prime Engineering, Inc., under a newly formed multi-disciplinary engineering and consulting services growth platform called Prime ABA, LP . Prime ABA will provide a full continuum of architecture, design, engineering, surveying, consulting, and construction management services to a wide range of public and private sector clients, addressing the fundamental and growing demand for infrastructure services and solutions. Founded in 1955 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Brockenbrough is a leading engineering and architecture company with over six decades of experience supporting its core U.S. Department of Defense and Virginia State and Municipal Government clients, among others. Today, the company offers civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering, as well as architecture, land surveying, and subsurface utility engineering services. Areas of specialization include transportation, water/ wastewater treatment, petroleum/fuel storage and distribution, utilities, building systems, and site development. Brockenbrough employs a seasoned staff of more than 40 licensed engineers, architects, LEED accredited personnel, and support staff. The company boasts an accomplished track record of spearheading

TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? TM: One of my business partners is fond of the phrase “building a career.” We certainly want this to be such a place for all our employees. As we’ve grown in size, we’ve changed in many ways – recognizing the need for a hierarchal structure (i.e., positions that can be attained with experience and talent), promoting the importance of mentorship/training, and creating opportunities for relationship-development among us. “When a business leader’s exit creates opportunity for others in the organization to lead, you have the structure to succeed. A clear challenge is to promote and cultivate leadership potential in high-performers before an exit occurs.”

COLLABORATOR, from page 7

manual ink drafting on mylar. Now, our young people are rendering our designs using software that incorporates three dimensions (but they don’t get to use the electric erasing machine that I had!). Another huge change is the massive development of codes (building, electrical, mechanical, and energy). While the buildings we design are safer than ever (these codes often drive our design process), engineers have to be good “critical readers” to navigate the challenges of code-compliant design. TZL: Ownership transition can be tricky, to say the least. What’s the key to ensuring a smooth passing of the baton? What’s the biggest pitfall to avoid? TM: Over my time of employment here, I’ve witnessed the retirement of three company presidents and growth from 13 to 300 employees. When a business leader’s exit creates opportunity for others in the organization to lead, you have the structure to succeed. A clear challenge is to promote and cultivate leadership potential in high- performers before an exit occurs (planned or unplanned).

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

O P I N I O N

Croy Engineering team learing on construction site.

Y oung engineers and designers, often recently graduated from college, have so much of what design consulting firms are looking for – an eagerness to learn, an open mind for the new and unknown, and a willingness to try anything. Yet they’re lacking something that can’t be learned in a classroom: construction experience. Young (or less experienced) engineers and designers may lack construction experience. Fast track their learning with these approaches. Construction experience a plus

Matt Hoying

Years of design and field experience enables civil engineers to understand that what works on paper may not work in the field. Understanding how construction is accomplished helps engineers consider construction during design, aids in conversations with owners and contractors, and creates a better set of plans for a project that a contractor can have confidence in bidding tighter. But (except for perhaps a short-term co-op experience during college) most young engineers haven’t yet been able put in the time to understand how much space is required to actually install a manhole or what a contractor has to do to tie into an existing water main. Can young and less experienced design engineers, then, be fast- tracked to understand construction beyond their physical years of experience?

The “why” of this issue is worth noting. In the world of design, the contractor should be considered the client as much as the actual owner of the project, as the contractor’s ability to construct a design on budget with timeliness, effectiveness, and accuracy will play a major factor in whether or not the owner views the design experience as a success. So while there is no true substitute for actual time in the field spent observing and asking questions, there are a few approaches to increasing construction awareness for younger or less-experienced staff: ❚ ❚ Create an initiative and put someone in charge. Someone in your firm gets excited about construction. (It’s an engineering firm, so if no

See MATT HOYING, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

ON THE MOVE WAREMALCOMBANNOUNCES JIMENA FERNANDEZ NAVARRA HAS JOINED FIRM AS DIRECTOR, INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN IN MEXICO CITY Ware Malcomb , an award-winning international design firm, announced that Jimena Fernandez Navarra has joined the firm as director, Interior Architecture & Design for the Mexico City office. In this role, Fernandez is responsible for the growth and management of the Interior Architecture & Design Studio and oversees all interiors projects for the Mexico City office. Fernandez brings more than 18 years of interior architecture and design expertise to the Ware Malcomb team. She has designed more than 2,000,000 square meters of projects, and has extensive experience in the office, hospitality, retail and residential sectors. Fernandez is well known as a thought leader in the design industry and has led many award-winning projects throughout her career. “We are excited to welcome Jimena to our team in Mexico City,” said Andres Galvis,

regional director, Latin America. “Her thought leadership in the design industry will elevate our interior architecture and design offerings in this dynamic market.” Fernandez was recently named Top 10 Best Architects in Mexico by Expansion Magazine and El Heraldo de Mexico in 2021. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and actively participates in several commercial real estate industry organizations, including membership in CREW Network. In addition to her industry involvement, she has a passion for teaching. Fernandez teaches interior architecture and design courses at two universities in Mexico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Universidad Anáhuac. She also helped create the curriculum for the interior design course at Universidad Anáhuac Puebla. Fernandez holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Universidad Anáhuac and a master’s degree from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Advanced Technology Buildings. She is currently pursuing a second master’s

degree in interior design from Instituto Científico Técnico y Educativo. Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science and technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/ institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company and a Hot Firm by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 15 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record ’s Top 500 Design Firms and the top 25 interior design firms in Interior Design magazine’s Top 100 Giants.

MATT HOYING, from page 9

the field through conversation with experienced staff and/ or in your regular project update meetings. Then make it the mentee’s responsibility to ask the mentor if he or she can come along. This not only gets the less experienced staff on the job site, but also provides opportunities for them to step out of their comfort zones and ask for help from people who may seem like wise, old veterans. Of course, this only works if said veteran is willing to teach. Make it clear that helping a younger or less-experienced coworker learn is both well worth the time and effort for the individuals and the firm. ❚ ❚ Provide the time. Recognize that the activities mentioned can take considerable time, both for your construction experience champion to research and facilitate and for those who are participating. Perhaps participants will be driving an hour to a site where bridge beams are being set or an experienced project manager will be spending an extra 30 minutes on-site giving less-experienced coworkers a rundown of what’s happening and why. Be OK with that. Make sure your people understand that this will take time “on the clock” and that’s intentional. Nothing says, “this is not important” like “don’t use any of your regular hours/production time to work on this.” Firms already can’t afford to lose construction experience to retirement or turnover, let alone excuses that this initiative isn’t a productive use of resources. Any investment requires giving of something now for tomorrow’s gain, and this is not different. Do we want to be better at our jobs next year or not? While construction experience isn’t something that can magically happen overnight, or even over a couple of years, putting systems in place to help expose less experienced staff to more construction environments and processes will be worthwhile. Use the resources you have – your people and your projects – to create a learning environment for all. With a firmwide commitment and some intentionality, this too is a challenge we can design a solution for. MATT HOYING is president at Choice One Engineering. Connect with him on LinkedIn .

one is excited, you may have a bigger problem than lack of construction experience.) Seek out that person (or a team of people) and give them the opportunity and the freedom to make construction learning experiences a priority for the company. Have them organize field trips to your firm’s construction sites on key construction days, set up tours of fabrication facilities (a pre-cast structure manufacturer or asphalt plant, for instance), bring in contractors to review what challenges they had turning the plans into reality, and research videos of construction applications and methods to share firmwide. Keep in mind that the champion of this initiative does not have to be someone who has a lot of construction experience – you can let him or her learn along with the others. Indeed, someone without a lot of construction experience will ask great questions and will potentially have more drive to help both themselves and others. “Understanding how construction is accomplished helps engineers consider construction during design, aids in conversations with owners and contractors, and creates a better set of plans for a project that a contractor can have confidence in bidding tighter.” ❚ ❚ Put the responsibility on the mentees. We want to imagine that our firm’s seasoned project managers will remember (and desire) to take a less-experienced designer with them each time they head into the field. Realistically, however, we have often overwhelmed these people with other responsibilities, and this may not happen without a lot of reminding. Put that responsibility on the less-experienced employee. Help the less experienced recognize opportunities to get out in

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

F R O M T H E F O U N D E R

Would you work for you?

W ith so many growing AEC firms competing for a too-small talent pool, I think all of us should be asking ourselves, “Would I work for myself as an employee?” Stop lamenting the labor shortage and start doing what you should to find and keep the very best people in spite of it.

If that isn’t your culture, watch out. There are firms out there where it is, and they are going to be able to hire your best away from you. Here are 16 things you can do that will make your firm the place that eventually attracts all of the best people in their respective fields: 1) Commit to growth. Growth is essential because if you aren’t growing, you are shrinking. Growth is the best way to ensure there will constantly be new challenges and roles for your people. That’s “If that isn’t your culture, watch out. There are firms out there where it is, and they are going to be able to hire your best away from you.”

If you are truly honest with yourself, many of you would say, “No, but I’m different from most people who work for me.” If you know me at all, you would know that I wouldn’t think that is a very good answer. You may, in fact, BE special. But you know what? Everyone not only THINKS they are, but everyone else probably IS special, too. So, what are you doing to show your people – the team you depend on every day to deliver the speed and quality of work that makes your very good clients keep coming back with more work – that you really UNDERSTAND them and appreciate their uniqueness? And how about you understand and appreciate them to the point that they feel like they are each partners in the enterprise and “in on something” good by working there?

Mark Zweig

See MARK ZWEIG, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

10) Bring in a couple good outside directors. These people – hopefully experienced and successful individuals – will help guide your leadership through all of the obstacles to their success. The best outside directors will provide mentorship to your CEO and other top leaders and have valuable connections that may help you win work. “What are you doing to show your people – the team you depend on every day to deliver the speed and quality of work that makes your very good clients keep coming back with more work – that you really understand them?” 11) Invest heavily in marketing. Spend two or three times annually what your competitors are spending and eat their lunch. Commit to spending on marketing and promotion and spend it. Look at ANY mature industry and who the leaders are, and you will find they are out-promoting their competitors significantly. That costs money. 12) Report every sale of new work to all employees. Do this continuously throughout the day with a simple email based on project initiation that says what the project is, what the fee is, and who brought it in (could be more than one person). It helps generate excitement, and that will keep good people there and interested. 13)Do continuous client satisfaction monitoring. The constant flow of client feedback – good and bad – is essential to your firm. Again, everyone needs to see this information, not just a small group of managers. This process and information helps your people feel like they know what is going on. 14)Have extraordinary benefits. I can admit it – one of the best aspects of working at the University of Arkansas is a truly great benefits program – particularly our retirement benefits. I would hate to lose that and our health insurance by not working there. You can demonstrate you care about your people by being exceptional with your benefits. 15) Limit the number of meetings you hold. Too many meetings that are too long are huge demotivators and energy drains for your best people. Plus, it is very valuable time that your people could be using to work on a billable project or sell a new one. Get rid of meetings. 16) Actually have a viable ownership transition plan that you have implemented. Don’t just talk about it. Demonstrate it. Ownership is critical to your best people. Without it, they will be more likely to leave and go somewhere else where they can get it. These 16 things – if you would do them – will make your firm a place that YOU would want to work. And you know how much you contribute to the success of your business. Stop lamenting the labor shortage and start doing what you should to find and keep the very best people in spite of it. MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 11

important if you want to keep them there. “Staying small successfully” is not a recipe for having the best team. 2) Build a really great and unique brand. A great brand will mean that new projects and new clients keep coming to the firm, and in some cases that the firm will get better prices than their competitors. And that will help you find and keep good people. Building a brand costs money and requires some hard-line consistency to maintain. But it’s worth it. 3) Hire armies of young people. Young people bring new energy and new ideas to the company. You need lots of them. Internship and co-op programs are essential to your ability to find the best young people. 4) Show that some of your talented young people can do amazingly well in terms of pay and ownership opportunities. This is critical, because this shows what is POSSIBLE for someone to achieve if they go for it. And these people are role models for everyone else. 5) Constantly push the limit in IT capabilities. Investments in technology and trying new things that will make you more efficient and potentially give you a competitive advantage are crucial. Plus, your smart, motivated team members want to keep learning and trying new things. They will help guide what you need to be investing in. 6) Invest real money in recruiting. A good rule of thumb for budgeting recruiting expenses is to figure out how much you plan on growing and what your normal staff turnover rate is, and convert that into a number of people you will hire in the company year. Then multiply that number by at least $10,000 to come up with a budget for recruiting. So, 50 hires would be a minimum $500K recruiting budget. Some people will cost less to hire and others much more. 7) Invest real money in training your people. Good people want to keep learning. The moment they think they aren’t growing and developing they will consider leaving for greener pastures. We know they need management and business training more than anything else. Budget accordingly. It may cost you an average of $2,000-$3,000 per year per employee or more. The average firm spends much less. “These 16 things – if you would do them – will make your firm a place that you would want to work. And you know how much you contribute to the success of your business.” 8) Be an open-book management company. Share all of your financial and performance metrics with everyone. If they don’t understand these numbers then teach them what they need to know so they do understand them. This is not only essential to creating psychological ownership, it is how you will train your future managers. 9) Solicit everyone’s input as a part of your business planning. I keep saying it, and too many firms are still only doing it with a small group of managers who get no input from their people. Good people want to have a voice in the direction of the firm. Stop acting like this isn’t important and do it.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 26, 2021, ISSUE 1401

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